Fourth of July warning: Don’t do this with your fireworks

This is what can go wrong when fireworks are thrown out without being fully extinguished.

It happened at a Sioux Falls home last year on the Fourth of July, after a family had shot off fireworks and thrown away the remnants.

“Everyone was getting cleaned up, and you could see glowing outside the window. It had reheated and set the trash can on fire,” said the homeowner, who asked not to be identified.

“We hosed it down a long time, and it restarted even after that. It was crazy.”

While it’s not common, there will be at least one or two incidents like it every Fourth of July, said Mike Herbst, general manager of Novak Sanitary Service.

“And when it does happen, it could be catastrophic,” he said. “If there were something flammable in the container and it ignited, it could burn a house down.”

Fireworks debris should be allowed to cool, soaked with water and then placed in a metal container away from any building or combustible materials until the next day, according to the National Council on Fireworks Safety. After soaking the fireworks overnight, keep them wet by double wrapping them in a plastic bag and then put them in a garbage can.

The other concern involves unused or dud fireworks.

“Something can ignite them in the can, and the big issue is when it gets into trucks,” Herbst said. “When the truck blade is crushing them, it can ignite unused fireworks or duds, and now you’ve got a truck on fire.”

If you have unused fireworks you no longer want, here are three options to consider:

Give them away to someone who will use them safely.

Store them safely. First, check their expiration date. If they haven’t expired, keep them in a cool, dry place, out of reach from children and away from all appliances and anything flammable.

Area residents are encouraged to take duds and unused fireworks to the Sioux Falls Household Hazardous Waste Facility for safe disposal. This free service is available to residents of Lake, Lincoln, McCook, Minnehaha and Turner counties.